Is art actually important to a society?

Dec 24 2012:
If art is the name we give to those human efforts to create something meant to tangibly reveal one's feelings, then yes, it is important. If it is the production of objects as a way to gain fame and fortune, then no, it is not important.

Dec 26 2012:
I guess you mean music when you refer to acoustic language. And I assume you mean painting, drawing, sculpture, etc. when you refer to image language. What I do not know is what you mean when you refer to a "code". A code requires decoding to be understood. What is your point? Thank you!

Dec 24 2012:
Man, dude, that is a great and difficult question. I think I'll ask one of my own. What makes art art? If you say art is beautiful, then is anything beautiful art? If I groom myself excellently, wear great clothes that fit great, in other words make myself beautiful (a male version of beautiful), is that art? Why, or why not?

Dec 24 2012:
Well Greg you bring up interesting points. I suppose part or question was answering what art is and then determining if it is essential to society. So, to answer your questions, I am not sure hat art is but I isplose that we could assume dressing well and grooming yourself could make you a peice of art as well

Dec 26 2012:
Art and aesthetics are two very different things. Art can be beautiful, it can be ugly, provocative and even repulsive. Art carries ideas - sometimes trivial, sometimes revolutionary.

And the continuous debate about what is art and what is not art is tiring and pointless at times. Do we have debates about what is music and what is not? No, we listen to what makes an impression on us.

If you wish you can call your outfit art, but what use is it to me that your clothes fit great? Where is the idea?

One of my favourite pieces of art is by a Chillean/Danish artist Marco Evaristti. It was live goldfish in blenders that were plugged in. It's not beautiful and it doesn't require any skills. A tabloid newspaper paid someone to press the button and turn the goldfish into soup. The tabloid newspaper got their front page which sparked a public outcry. For weeks the whole nation was debating the death of a couple of goldfish, while eating their bacon and being indifferent to human suffering. Now that is art!

Dec 24 2012:
The arts will always be important to the world. As people, we have a need to create. It's part of the human condition. People get closer to reaching their full potential when they express themselves. It makes the world a better place.

Yes, at least popular art is, because it gives people something to dream about and be inspired by, just like manned spaceflight. Sure you could save miniscule amounts of resources by doing away with these but would you spend those resources on if you have no inspiration and no dreams?

Dec 26 2012:
Art is about human expression; making a case for human expression is a no-brainer.
It is true that there is a tendency for a lot of people to be carried away by arts as entertainment; but artists and artistes should not be held responsible for declining interests in certain fields.
Science and technology can not be as appealing as entertainments and arts, but it has to find a way of reaching out to young people so that the society can benefit from the 'best of both worlds' (science and arts).

Dec 26 2012:
Art is about human expression; making a case for human expression is a no-brainer.
It is true that there is a tendency for a lot of people to be carried away by arts as entertainment; but artists and artistes should not be held responsible for declining interests in certain fields.
Science and technology can not be as appealing as entertainments and arts, but it has to find a way of reaching out to young people so that the society can benefit from the 'best of both worlds' (science and arts).